There is no agenda or rationale I’m pursuing with this topic. Simply, as a Northern born man, my study of slavery and the relationship between slave and owner has been gleaned through an admittedly Northern biased education of the late 1970’s-from the war is all about slavery to the Simon Legree stereotype of slave owners. Of course I figured all slave owners were not like the villainous plantation owner in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, but genuine caring for the slave was a slant to history not taught in my Michigan school experience. Studying Confederate 1st person accounts for the last 30 years has guaranteed I would run into accounts of soldier and manservant sharing the privations of war. Whenever I read a 1st person account that mentions a manservant cooking for the mess or doing the wash, the tone is sometimes benevolent and other times more like a horse owner talking about his horse. Some times, as in the account from a lieutenant in the 30th Virginia, the tone is mocking at times.
I’ve mentioned the Archie McLaurin letters in a previous post. In his 1862 letters he mentions Frank- Uncle Frank. At first I thought Uncle Frank was merely that, an uncle then I talked to Ron Skellie, a man whose personal passion is the study of all things 7th Mississippi Infantry. I sent him the transcribed letters and after reading them, he educated a confused Yankee. He told me the Frank in the letters was a slave that went along with Archie, to tend to the menial tasks like finding food, as described in the September 27th letter. With this new light, I reread the letters pertaining to Frank and a whole new relationship shown itself. As you read the letters you’ll see a mention of how Frank is getting along in the September 27th letter. In the October 30th letter, you’ll see Archie telling of a sick Frank and his leaving the uncle with Alic Currie- a bit of tenderness or concern maybe. Then comes the November 13th letter and a recap in the December 9th letter. The grief of losing his Uncle Frank permeates every word of those two letters. When he says, “You can’t imagine how it felt” I felt his pain. Hearing of him trying to tend to his “Uncle” and the return he got from others angered me to the world of Legree. So thanks to the letters of Archie McLaurin a new slant of soldier’s life is clear, at times there was a genuine affection by owner toward owned.
NOTE: There was no punctuation in the letters. My attempts to punctuate are poor at best. Also if you want to study the 7th Mississippi, check out one of the best regimental websites out there: http://www.7miss.org/
Camp Near Knoxville (a convalescent camp)
September 27th 1862
Dear Father,
I will now write to you a few lines to let you know where I am and how I am getting along. We are still near Knoxville. My face is rising again. My lip is as large as it was when old Wallace hurt it but it don’t pain me much. I think it will it will break in a day or two. The Doctor that is along with us has no medicine that is good for me. My health otherwise, is as good as it ever was. We have splendid water here but we have to go a good ways after it. We are camped on an oak ridge in a healthy place. We got officers appointed over us until we get to our regiment. They try to show their authority to much. I see now we will leave here tomorrow or next day after tomorrow. I don’t know get to our regiment. I can’t tell whether we will have to march or go by the way of the cars. Well, so I have seen right smart of the world. Since I have left home I have seen a paper factory and I have seen them making paper. It bangs all the things that I ever saw and I have seen a good many different kind of people too. I seen one man that if ever I see him after war is over, I will whip him or he will whip me sure. He is a doctor too but, you know we have right smart to bear here but maybe so, I will be free some of these days. We get plenty of corn meal and bacon to eat here. Some of the boys went out the other day and pressed a large haversack full of Irish potatoes and four pumpkins and some peas and bought a canteen full of molasses. U Frank got hold of some splendid pies so we fared fine while it all lasted it give out this morning so some of the boys on another scouting expedition as they call it I will tell you in our mess there four of the Franklin Rifles. Dave Calcote & myself and we have concluded not to starve while we’re in east Tennessee.
Frank is getting along fine. He studied about home right smart the first week after he left but he is over it now. He is enjoying himself finely. I think I will get off when I get to the regiment. My lip is larger I think than then it was when the horse hurt it but none good thing, it don’t pain me like it did then. The doctor here says that I winter well. I must close as I have no more news to write. Give my love to all of the rest of the family &reserve a portion for yourself.
From your affectionate son
Hugh A McLaurin
PS You had better not write until you hear from me again. I want to hear from home the worst you ever seen a boy.
Be certain and
Send me a letter
With the box
If not before October the 30th 1862
Dear Father
I write you a few lines to let you know how I am getting along. I am tolerably well at this time. My face is still swollen a little but not much. I left Frank at Knoxville sick. I left there the 26th. I haven’t heard from him since but he wasn’t sick much. It was snowing when I left and I thought that it wouldn’t do to make him travel in that kind of weather so I left him at a convalescent camp with Alic Currie. The Dr said he would have him attended to. I guess he will be up in a day or two.
Camp Near Tullahoma
November 13th 1862
Dear Father
I now write you a few lines but with deep regret. I am well at this time but I am sorry to say that Frank is dead. He died on Monday night. He had been sick with the flux and fever but had got pretty near well of that but he took to running off at the bowels. I tried everywhere to get a house for him to stay in but failed. I couldn’t even as much as get a tent for him to stay in. When I lay down Monday night he was as well as the night before and when I woke Tuesday morning he was dead. You can’t imagine how it felt. I had a coffin made and buried him as a decent as I could. I went out the other day to try to get something that he could eat but couldn’t get a thing. I offered $1.50 for a half grown chicken and they wouldn’t let me have it. I feel very bad about him dying for I am afraid that I am the cause of his death for if I had not brought him out here he might have been at home alive. Well I must come to a close as I have no more news to write. Give my love to all the family and receive a portion for yourself. From your affectionate son
H A McLaurin
PS Write to me as soon as you get this and direct it to Chattanooga and they will be send on. We are camped on the Nashville & Chattanooga RR about 60 miles South west of Chattanooga. I havn’t heard from home since I left there.
Camped Near Murfreesboro Tenn
December 9th 1862
Dear Sister
I received your letter this morning but no box. Ham Webb is at Chattanooga. He can’t get transportation for the things. He will be here in a day to two. You wrote about Frank being dead. He is dead. He took sick the day we got back from the gap to Knoxville. He had flux and fever. I got some medicine from the Dr. that was with us and give him but that didn’t do him much good. I left him at a hospital camp ands went out to hunt the regiment and came back then he was better. Then Dr. Buie advised me to carry him along with me. I brought him with me to Tullahoma and there he died. I tried every where to get a house for him but failed. I couldn’t get a chicken to make him soup but couldn’t get it. He died the 10th of Nov. I lay down that night and the next morning when I woke up he was dead. You cant imagine how I felt. I went then and got a coffin for him and got a couple of negroes to dig a grave and buried him as decent as possible. Well I will close as it is getting late and I am writing by fire light. I will write as soon as I get the box. Give me love to all and reserve a portion for yourself. From your brother,
Archie
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